Brexit Regret Reaches Record High

The proportion of voters responding that voting to leave the European Union was a mistake has grown to its highest point since the 2016 Referendum. According to YouGov's Brexit tracker, 56% of voters think leaving the EU was "wrong", with just 31% saying it was the right decision. If "don't know" respondents are removed, this leaves a margin of a third saying Brexit was right to two thirds expressing regret. It's a stark shift considering the two sides were fairly evenly split from the referendum until Summer 2021.

The figures are predominantly driven by Leave voters now expressing 'Bregret'. The proportion of Leave voters saying the decision was wrong is at 22% - the highest level recorded - whilst the proportion sticking by their vote, 65%, is the lowest to date. Although these figures don't seem remarkable at first glance, it's worth noting the strength of Brexit identities. As a point of contrast, just 5% of Remain voters now say Brexit was right. Moreover, the overall results are still weighted to Brexit support at 2016 levels. Considering demographic shifts, Brexit regret could be significantly higher.